2021.06.12 IELTS WRITING TASK2

Some people believe that university education should focus on the skills of employment for the future. Others think it should focus on academic study only. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 

These days, it is expected of many young people to pursue higher education. There may be a variety of intentions, such as preparing for a career or to gain more knowledge and develop more refined thinking skills. Personally, I believe that modern universities should focus on cultivating versatile and capable minds because they benefit our society more than work-specific skills.

Before university students enter the workplace, they need to learn their majors thoroughly as academic knowledge prepares them for their professional work. For example, to be a doctor, a student must study biology and medicine for six to eight years before they actually receive direct professional training in a hospital. Without their academic knowledge, they are unable to begin that process. Also, academic accomplishments, such as publishing papers, are proof of autonomous learning and demonstrate their potential to excel. 

However, academic competency should not be the sole focus of higher education. In some cases, specific kills for potential future jobs are also important. Without learning certain skills, academic knowledge alone cannot be implemented. Take the example of doctors again: before they begin to see patients, they assist experienced doctors, learning how to put into practice different types of specialised medicine. Their journey to become qualified doctors can be applied to other professions as well, where both academic competence and specific professional skills are vital. 

To conclude, universities’ main purpose is to prepare students for the dynamic needs of an ever-changing world. The combination of academic knowledge and career-specific training is an ideal way to achieve this goal.